Streamlining Marketo Email Template Updates: A Guide

Updating email templates in Marketo can be straightforward if you understand the criteria for changes to carry through to your individual emails. Here's a breakdown of how these updates work and a handy trick to make your transitions smoother.

Understanding Template Updates

Module-Based Changes

1. Module Separation: Any changes made within a module in the template will not carry through to individual emails. There is a clear separation between the modules available in the module bay on the right side of the editor (which will get updated) and the actual modules that have been drag-and-dropped into the canvas to create an email layout (which will not get updated).

Hard-Coded Changes

2. Template-Level Changes: Any changes that are not part of a module and are instead hard-coded into the template will change once the template and email asset are reapproved.

For instance, if you updated a social icon at the template level that didn't reflect in the emails after re-approval, it indicates the social image is being edited within a module context.

A Handy Trick for Image Updates

Let's say you need to replace the old Twitter bird logo with the new X icon. This situation has become more common recently. Typically, you might have an image in your design studio named something like:

icon-twitter.png

Traditional Approach

One way to handle this change is to replace the image with a new file named "icon-social-x.png". However, this approach requires you to update each email asset individually by removing the old module from the canvas (which doesn’t update automatically) and adding the new module from the module bay (which does update).

Efficient Approach: Replace File/Image Feature

Instead, you can use the "Replace File/Image" feature to streamline this process. Here’s how:

1. Upload the New Image: Ensure your new X icon has the same file name as the old one, in this case, "icon-social-twitter.png". Also, ensure it has the same dimensions (height/width) as the existing image.

2. Replace the Existing Image: Go to your Images/Files folder, find the existing file named "icon-social-twitter.png", and use the "Replace Image/File" feature to load the new X icon in place of the old bird icon.

By keeping the file name the same, all the emails and templates that call to this file will now display the new image without needing further updates. This method also avoids the overhead of manually updating each email asset, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition.

Understanding these criteria and using the "Replace File/Image" feature effectively can save you time and effort, making your Marketo email template updates seamless and hassle-free.